Last night the Saint Louis University men’s basketball team
opened an important three-game road trip with a loss to the
University of North Carolina-Charlotte 49ers, 68-62. Despite
jumping out to an early lead, at times by as many as 12 points, the
Billikens were unable to contain the unrelenting 49er pressure nor
their slashing offensive style. Couple that with the Bills’ poorest
display of shooting from behind the arc and a flurry of
questionable calls from the officials, it could definitely be said
the Billikens were well off their game.
After ending the half up by four, the Billikens quickly let
their lead slip away early in the second half and found themselves
playing catch up for most of the last 15 minutes. The Bills’
problems were compounded with foul trouble, most notably when Tom
Frericks and Chris Sloan were both assessed with a couple of touch
fouls and spent a few precious minutes on the Billikens’ bench down
the stretch.
The Bills made a run around the five minute mark in the second
half and pulled within two points with two minutes remaining.
But a couple missed shots and untimely turnovers down the
stretch sealed the fate of the Billikens and propelled the Niners
on to the victory.
Last Saturday SLU handily defeated East Carolina University by a
final score of 70-47.
ECU had SLU on the ropes through the early goings of the first
half as the Bills never led by more than two. The Pirates ran a
spread zone and collapsed on any SLU penetration, leading to a lot
of forced shots for the Bills. The first half ended with SLU
looking for the last shot when ECU’s Belton Rivers stole the ball
and laid it in just as time expired. The Bills still maintained a
one-point edge going into halftime at 27-26.
After ECU briefly took the lead in the second half SLU quickly
turned the momentum their way and never looked back. Junior center
Tom Frericks started a 10-0 run with a slam, fed from the top of
the key by Josh Fisher.
All told, Frericks put in 12 and collected 13 boards for his
second double-double of the season.
Capping the run, Fisher and Bryant knocked down threes in
consecutive possessions, giving the Bills a nine-point lead that
would only grow.
After the game, Soderberg had nothing but praise for his big
man, Frericks.
“I see a distinct drop off when he’s not in the game. “I
absolutely love the way he plays.” Soderberg said.
maximized his playing time by committing only one infraction
throughout the course of the game.
In a largely defensive achievement, SLU held an opponent to less
than fifty points for the fifth time this season.
Performing on both ends of the court, the Bills also added one
of their most balanced offensive games of the season, with every
starter scoring in double figures and never letting the Bulls focus
on one player without getting beaten by another.
“The season literally starts now,” Soderberg added after the
game. With the meat of the C-USA schedule remaining, with games of
great importance both at home and on the road, Soderberg recognizes
the task ahead of his team.
Next up for the Billikens is a game this Saturday in Birmingham
against the UAB Blazers, who are currently running at third in C-
USA after a victory last night against Tulane.
The Blazers usually make for a tough opponent on their home
court. SLU now finds themselves in a tight conference race that
currently sets them towards the middle of the pack with very little
daylight between them and their rivals. Their 4-2 C-USA record is
shared with three other teams as they trail the Blazers, Cincinnati
and Louisville , now ranked fifth in the Coach’s poll.
This stint of away games is one of the rare occassions when the
Bills will not travel home between contests on the road. The
Billikens close out their conference road trip against fifth-ranked
Memphis a week from Saturday before travelling home to face
DePaul.
For a team that was picked to finish near the bottom of C-USA at
the beginning of the season, to be where they are at this point in
the year is definitely a surprise to some, but by no means to the
Bills.
C-USA Road Trip
Who: University of Alabama-Birmingham Blazers
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Birmingham, Ala.
